Taste and flavour

Szechuan pepper has a distinctive flavour that is reminiscent of flowers and wood, slightly peppery. The essential oil of Szechuan pepper has a particularly complex composition: apart from its very aromatic components, it also contains a substance that determines its spiciness.

Advice for use

– Szechuan pepper should be kept in a cool and dry place, away from sunlight, in a sealed container.
– Szechuan pepper is used in the same way as black pepper: whole peppercorns, ground or crushed in a mortar
– When you want to use it in grains, you can add a few grains of Szechuan pepper in a filter bag, immerse it in the dish in the last 5 minutes of cooking and remove it before serving.
– Szechuan pepper has a very intense aroma. It should be used sparingly. The ideal amount is a few peppercorns.

Origin and history

Szechuan pepper originates from northern China, Japan and Korea. Today, these countries are the main producers of this spice, which grows in these areas mainly as a wild plant. The fruits of the Szechuan pepper are harvested in the autumn and dried in the sun until they open. As a rule, the inner seeds are removed because they have an extremely bitter aroma.

Good to know

It can be used with: Szechuan pepper goes well with other types of pepper. We can, for example, grind it in a spice grinder together with long pepper, green pepper and pink pepper. Other than black pepper, Szechuan pepper goes well with hot peppers, galangal, ginger, kaffir-lime, garlic, pepper, lemongrass, lemon zest.